Finding negative information about yourself on the Internet is extremely distressful. This so-called “digital dirt” may harm your chances of gaining employment or cause other significant problems. Fortunately, you have several good options at your disposal for dealing with this situation. Here are some key tips for minimizing the impact of digital dirt.
The first step in cleaning up any online dirt is performing a thorough search of your name. Start by entering your name into the major search engines, such as Google and Bing. Make a list of any website or blog that contains negative information about you. Search any available online government databases as well. These types of database may have digital dirt pertaining to such things as property taxes or criminal records.
When you find a website or blog that has potentially damaging information about you, contact the webmaster or another high-ranking official with the site. Tell them that their site contains information that is harming your reputation and ask them to take it down. In most cases, they are not legally obligated to redact the information, so you need to make your case respectfully. Explain your reasons for the request in a reasonable and concise way. If you express your concerns clearly and politely, the site might volunteer to remove the digital dirt.
If you find digital dirt on a government database, the situation is somewhat different. The government is not likely to remove the information, as long as it’s accurate. If you find inaccurate information in a database, contact the agency involved and ask them about the process for eliminating false information from an online database. If the digital dirt is accurate, then perhaps you can clean it up by taking action to correct an oversight, such as paying overdue traffic fines.
Another option for removing digital dirt is to let someone else handle the job for a fee. Various companies offer management services for individuals and companies seeking more control over their online reputations. These firms have a great deal of experience in minimizing or removing digital dirt and may be a good choice for anyone who does not feel up to doing the job themselves.
If you find content that is false and defamatory and the site refuses all requests to take it down, you might consider consulting an attorney. Sometimes a request from a lawyer motivates a website owner or blog publisher to remove digital dirt rather than face the possibility of legal action. In some instances, if the false information is causing serious harm to your reputation, the attorney can help you obtain a court order to remove it.
Digital dirt is a crucial problem in modern life. Because so much of your personal information is on the web, it’s increasingly important to manage your online reputation. Use these top tips to keep unfavorable online data from interfering with your peace of mind.
Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!